ERP System

Upgrading the Old Enterprise Resource Planning Dog

Let’s get real.  We all know that Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems don’t last forever.  Sometimes companies have a hard time admitting that their ERP system has become a slow, out of date, old dog.  It is pretty typical for an Enterprise Resource Planning system to live for fifteen to about twenty years.  That’s only if the system is well maintained and upgraded consistently.   After fifteen to twenty years, ERP systems (even well maintained ones) aren’t worth much.  Today on the market there are sleeker, faster, better systems that have more functionality.  Why spend twenty minutes to create a report with your old dog of an Enterprise Resource Planning system when you can create that same report along with multiple three dimensional graphics in five minutes with your free open source ERP system.  I know, I know, you spent millions of dollars on that old dog and it’s hard to replace it.  Don’t get too attached.  Technology is always changing and you must change to.  Adapt or you’ll and your old dog will be left behind the times. 

Let’s say you have an ERP system that isn’t really an old dog but more like a middle-aged dog.  Your ERP system still has some life in it and you want to upgrade.  There are lots of things to consider before you jump into an ERP upgrade.   Plan accordingly for the success of your business.   For instance, you don’t want to do an upgrade in the middle of a huge company project because you will need a lot of folks to dedicate to the upgrade project.  You’ll need their time and energy and expertise. You’ll need your functional and technical folks to join in and contribute their professional expertise to the ERP upgrade plan.  Don’t underestimate the complexity of an Enterprise Resource Planning upgrade. 

Upgrading an ERP system can be a tricky process, especially if you have lots of customizations.  If you are in the midst of an upgrade and you’re running into lots of complications, get outside support.  Sometimes it is worth the money to pay for a consulting service when compared to all the down-time your company will experience due to ERP upgrade complications. 

Don’t underestimate the amount of money you might need to budget for hardware if you have on-site installed software.  Middle-aged dogs over need additional hardware to handle newer Enterprise Resource Planning systems. 

Written by :

johnziegler